


Shadow of the Chocobros

by yeaka



Series: The Chocobro Show [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV, Shadow of the Colossus
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 17:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21341812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Noctis watches Prompto play a classic’s greatest tragedy.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: The Chocobro Show [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538524
Comments: 15
Kudos: 70





	Shadow of the Chocobros

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I’m thinking of making a series of otherwise unrelated vignettes of chocobros playing vidja games? Should I?
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV, Shadow of the Colossus, or any of their contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

“This is such an awesome game, dude,” Prompto mutters, and Noctis knows he means it, because he’s physically leaning forward, staring at the screen, even though he’s just running across an open field. There’s nothing to distract him. No enemies, no items, barely even music. Somehow, it’s still epic. Noctis insisted they play late in the evening, and all the lights in his apartment are off, because the game feels like a movie, and they’re giving it the respect it’s due. Prompto steers his valiant horse forward through the enhanced 3D graphics, telling Noctis in a reverent tone, “Like, seriously. I’m so glad you made me play this. That last one was fucking _massive_.”

“Not as massive as Phalanx,” Noctis counters. “I think he’s the biggest one in the game.”

“The big flying guy? Yeah, he was huge!”

“I mean, unless the final one is huger...”

Prompto actually whines. “I can’t believe there’s only one left. I don’t wanna stop playing!”

It’s completely understandable. Noctis knows when he finally starts up his own file, he’ll be addicted. Right now, it’s more fun to watch Prompto play. He loves seeing Prompto’s reaction. He loves watching Prompto become completely immersed in the world, lost in the lore, like the two of them are actually emerging from the ancient temple and wandering out into the great beyond. It’s an amazing feeling. Noctis has always loved video games, but he loves them so much more now that he has Prompto to share them with.

Prompto says, “I wish we could do this shit in real life.”

“Ride a horse?” Noctis teases, even though he knows darn well what Prompto means. “I thought you were into chocobos.”

“Pfft, you know what I mean—I wanna climb giant daemons! How cool with that be?”

“Hella dangerous?”

“C’mon dude, I’m not gonna tell Gladio or Iggy.”

Noctis laughs and admits, “Also super cool. And I could warp up to their heads so we wouldn’t have to do all this crazy shit. We probably wouldn’t be able to stab them too much before we got thrown off, though.”

A frown twitches at Prompto’s lips. Noctis notices because he’s watching Prompto more than the actual game, which is saying something, because the game’s physically stunning. Prompto reaches another set of ancient ruins, and he dismounts his horse, wandering into a circle of light. Noctis asks, “What?”

Prompto shrugs his shoulders. “I do feel kinda bad, though... I mean, they’re not hurting anybody... yeah, they’re big, but... they’re not really _daemons._ Don’t they feel kinda innocent?”

Noctis immediately shuts his mouth. He watches Prompto lift his magic sword, and the light gleams off it. A part of Noctis feels proud: Prompto figured it out right away. As the doors part before him, Prompto nervously checks, “Noct?”

“Prom.” 

“You didn’t say anything.”

“Yup.”

Prompto glances over at him, then squints. “What do you know?”

“Nothing.”

“Holy shit, you totally know something!”

“I’m not saying anything.” Noctis dons a shit-eating grin, and at Prompto’s annoyed huff, he laughs, “Okay, I _may_ have seen Ignis play certain parts.”

“Certain parts like the ending? Are they actually innocent?”

Noctis shrugs like he doesn’t know, even though he has a pretty good idea. “Just keep playing, dude.”

Prompto wrinkles his nose, but he does turn back to the screen. He continues forward, racing over the grass, weaving through ruins, then hesitates a second before guiding his faithful steed up a flight of stairs. He notes, “Man, Agro’s so cool. She can even climb stairs.”

“Yup,” Noctis echoes, feeling a tinge of guilt but still saying, “Agro’s awesome.”

“Yeah. She’s really put up with some shit for me. I mean, I like my dead girlfriend and all, but Agro’s way cooler.”

“Definitely. She’s the best part of this game.”

“Totally. Her physics animations are wild. And I love that she comes when I call her, so I don’t even have to run over. She’s really smart and—”

Prompto pauses as Agro jumps the chasm onto the floating bridge, triggering a cutscene. The camera angle switches, the bridge cracking. Prompto breathes, “No.”

Noctis’ attention turns completely to Prompto. His blue eyes have blown wide, controller slowly lowering to his lap. The music kicks in. Chunks of stone are tumbling down into the abyss below. Agro desperately bucks the protagonist off her back, and he’s thrown clear to the other side, safe.

The rest of the bridge plummets, and Agro falls with it, rearing down towards her death.

Wander peers over the edge, heartbreak in his virtual eyes. 

There’s heartbreak in Prompto’s real eyes. He flounders with words for a second. Then he gasps, “_What?_”

His head whips around to Noctis. “Is she okay?”

Noctis makes a split second decision over spoilers, then grimly shakes his head. If possible, Prompto’s face wilts even further. He looks absolutely _devastated_. “What? She’s _dead_? They fucking killed my horse?”

Noctis bites the inside of his lip. To be perfectly honest, he was waiting for this moment. He knew it’d be the most vivid reaction. Climbing the enormous colossi was pretty cool, but this is the real plot twist. Ignis had handled it with a silent stoicism, but Noctis could see his inner turmoil.

Prompto doesn’t have that suave calm. He splutters, staring wildly between the screen and Noctis. Then Noctis realizes his eyes are glistening—they might actually be wet.

He asks, “Are... are you crying?”

“No!” Prompto squawks, but he totally is. When he blinks, water trickles out the sides. It streams down his cheeks. He sniffs, “Why would they _do that_?”

It’s... bizarrely adorable. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Noctis finds his heart swelling, not for the fallen fictional horse, but for the depth of his friend’s compassion. It’s a much bigger reaction than he was hoping for, and he feels bad for enjoying it. 

He opens his arms and pulls Prompto into an awkward hug, patting and rubbing his back to try and soothe him. Prompto groans, “That’s such bullshit!”

“I’m sorry, man.”

Prompto pulls away and sinks into the couch, head tossing back. It takes him a full minute to recover.

Then he sucks in a breath and leans forward again, hissing, “That last guy’s going down! For Agro!”

Even though it was hardly the colossi’s fault, Noctis stoically nods. “You get your revenge, dude. I’m here for you.”

Prompto screams a battle cry and charges forward, digital sword flailing in the wind.


End file.
